Recycle Now has launched a new communications toolkit for local authorities and partners, introducing a social norming messaging style designed to motivate citizen behaviour change to improve recycling.
The toolkit’s refreshed messaging approach is based on research findings showing that normative messaging has significant potential to increase recycling when incorporated into recycling communications. The adoption of this proven technique marks a step forward in UK recycling communications.
Included in the toolkit is a host of adaptable campaign assets which have been designed for partners to roll out during Recycle Week (24-30 Sept) – which, in the wake of Blue Planet II’s incredible impact, will focus around ‘the year we woke up to our environment’ and why recycling matters. The assets bring the normative approach to life in an engaging way using naturalistic photography and motivating language.
Craig Stephens, Recycle Now’s – “The new campaign toolkit brings about a step-change in the way we communicate with citizens. The norming approach is proven to make a difference, and offers a real opportunity to influence recycling behaviours”
The toolkit will also contain information on a localised Recycle Now logo for partners to use in the future.
Craig Stephens, Recycle Now’s campaign manager, said: “The new campaign toolkit brings about a step-change in the way we communicate with citizens. The norming approach is proven to make a difference, and offers a real opportunity to influence recycling behaviours.
“With a complementary new strategy, guidelines and a suite of campaign assets, partners have everything they need for effective recycling communications, all in one place. We can’t wait to see the new look and messaging go live across the country during Recycle Week.”
Normative messages work by shifting perceptions of social norms, the un-written rules that shape a lot of human behaviour. They will provide a positive nudge to improve recycling behaviour. This approach has been shown to increase environmentally friendly behaviour on a whole range of issues including energy saving and food choices, as well as recycling.
These techniques have been extensively tested in studies by academics and in recent research conducted by Recycle Now in England and Wales. The toolkit will make adding normative messages to business and local authority recycling communications quick and easy with ready-to-go messaging for a whole range of different communications tasks.
The new campaign toolkit can be downloaded from the Resource Library.